The Bundesliga ‘Where are They Now’ Post V-3

Son Heung-Min (Tottenham, EPL) The South Korean had a brilliant week for Spurs. On Sunday he scored the only goal in the 68th minute to bring victory to the London side over Crystal Palace. On Thursday, Son’s brace was the difference as Spurs defeated FK Qarabağ FK at White Hart Lane in Europa League action. The new Tottenham hero came up in Hamburger SV’s youth system and scored his first Bundesliga against 1.FC Köln in October, 2010. His success at HSV prompted his signing by Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. Son totalled 49 goals in all competitions in Germany, and now is quickly duplicating his success and growing his popularity in England.

Lucas Barrios

Lucas Barrios (Palmeiras, Futbol Brasileiro) The former Dortmund man had a big night last Wednesday in Palmeiras’ 4-1 win over a Fluminense side that will feature in next January’s Florida Cup along with Bayer Leverkusen, FC Schalke and SC Corinthians. Barrios, who came to BvB in 2009 from Colo-Colo, scored a hat trick for Palmeiras after entering the 1-1 midweek match as a second half substitute. The thirty year-old striker scored 49 goals in 102 matches for BvB, and was part of two Bundesliga champion squads at Dortmund before leaving in 2012 for Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande, and has also played for Spartak Moscow and Montpellier before joining Palmeiras in June. Also in Wednesday’s starting XI for Palmeiras was 41 year-old Zé Roberto. The ageless Brasilian wonder played in over 300 Bundesliga matches between 1998 and 2011 for Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Hamburger SV. He won four Bundesliga titles and four DFB Pokal championships with Bayern Munich.

Junior Fernandes (Dinamo Zagreb, Prva HNL) The Chilean forward found little playing time while at Bayer Leverkusen between 2012 and 2014, but he became a legend in Croatian football Wednesday. In Champions League action for Dinamo Zagreb, Fernandes scored what turned out to be the winning goal for the Croatian side as they upset Arsenal 2-1. Fernandes came to Leverkusen from the Universidad de Chile for a €7 million transfer fee on a five-year contract and scored in the first round of the 2012/2013 DFB Pokal tournament against Carl Zeiss Jena, but his playing time soon disappeared and he spent much of his two years on loan with Dinamo Zagreb. Former Schalke and Werder Bremen midfielder Mesut Özil started for Arsenal. The World Cup champion launched one shot on goal while being fouled twice, committing one foul and being call twice for offside.

Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City, MLS) The Rio-born American international scored twice Friday night for SKC in their 3-1 win over FC Dallas. Feilhaber signed with Hamburger SV in July, 2005 and featured mainly for the reserve team, playing in 49 games and scoring three goals, although he did make nine appearances for Hamburg’s senior squad in 2006/2007. Feilhaber also played for Derby County and AGF Aarhus in Denmark before joining MLS in 2011, beginning his American club career with the New England Revolution before joining SKC in 2013. Feilhaber won the 2013 MLS Cup with SKC and the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup with the USMNT, when he scored the game-winner in the final against Mexico with a highlight reel volley.

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, EPL) The former Wolfsburg man scored his first league goal for Citeh Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as the club from the blue side of Manchester were upset by West Ham United 2-1. KDB scored 23 Bundesliga goals for the Wolves and while on loan to Werder Bremen in 2012/2013 before signing with Citeh a few weeks back. In other Premier League Saturday action, former Werder Bremen defender Sebastian Prödl was on the winning side as Watford downed a Newcastle United side featuring former SC Freiburg striker Papiss Demba Cissé. The Senegalese international tallied 37 goals for the Black Forest side before heading to Newcastle in January, 2012 on a fee of about £9.3 million. He’s netted 42 times in all competitions for the Magpies since then.

Chinedu Ede (FC Twente, Eredivisie) The 28 year-old German was in the starting XI for Twente in their Saturday match against SC Cambuur. Born in Wilmersdorf section of Berlin, Ede came up with Hertha and was promoted to their senior squad in April, 2006. Ede also played for MSV Duisburg, Union Berlin, Mainz and Kaiserslautern until 2014 and appeared for German national youth sides between 2003 and 2008.

Jimmy Briand (Guingamp, Ligue 1) and Luuk de Jong (PSV EIndhoven, Eredivisie) Briand was unable to get untracked at Hannover last season, while de Jong had trouble making his mark with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Both German clubs are currently starved for goals, while on Saturday Briand scored the go-ahead goal for Guingamp against GFC Ajaccio and de Jong netted in the 2nd minute of PSV’s match against Heracles Alamo.

Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, La Liga) The former Bayern Munich star was in the starting XI for Los Blancos in their 1-0 win Saturday over Granada. The 25 year-old played in 130 Bundesliga matches for Bayern from 2007-2014, and another 43 fixtures while on loan to Bayer Leverkusen. Also starting for Real Madrid Saturday was defender Daniel Carvajal, a product of Madrid’s youth system who took a big step forward in his career while on loan to Leverkusen in the 2012/2013 season.

Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray, Turkish Super Lig) German international Lukas Podolski was a starter for Istanbul club Galatasaray Saturday in their 1-0 win over Trabzonspor and former Bundesliga player Marco Marin. Podolski played for his home team, 1. FC Koln, along with Bayern Munich — two separate stints with both clubs, while Marin featured in over 150 Bundesliga matches for Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen between 2007 and 2012, scoring 16 goals. Both players are in their first season in Turkish football — Marin is on loan from Chelsea while Prinz Poldi signed with Galatasaray in July and has already scored twice in four league matches.

Cedric Makiadi (Rizespor, Turkish Super Lig) Makiadi was on the winning side of a 5-1 romp over Antalayaspor Saturday. Makiadi, a DR Congo international, began his Bundesliga career in 2004 with Wolfsburg, and also spent time with MSV Duisburg, Werder Bremen and SC Freiburg, where he featured in 128 matches. Also on the winning side was former Stuttgart reserve player Robin Yalçın, 21, a native of Deggendorf who appeared in three matches for VfB’s senior squad in 2014.

Raul (NY Cosmos, NASL) The Real Madrid legend was in the starting lineup for the Cosmos in their scoreless draw Saturday night against Minnesota United FC. After a long career at Real which saw him win three CL trophies and six La Liga titles, Raul surprised everyone when he signed with Schalke in 2012. The Spaniard proved he had a lot left, scoring 40 goals in all competitions in his two years with the Gelsenkirchen club and becoming a fan favorite for his devotion to the Royal Blues and his unselfish play. With the Cosmos this season, the 38 year-old striker has featured in 22 matches, scoring six goals, as well as being a drawing card for the NASL.

Christian Tiffert (Erzgebirge Aue, 3. Liga) The 33 year-old Erzgebirge Aue midfielder was a 66th minute substitute in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Energie Cottbus in third division action. The East German-born Tiffert, however, once led the Bundesliga with 17 assists during the 2010/2011 season while with Kaiserslautern, the club he joined after playing previously for Tennis Borussia Berlin, Stuttgart, Red Bull Salzburg and MSV Duisburg. Tiffert couldn’t duplicate his assist number the next season with the Red Devils, and subsequently joined the Seattle Sounders of MLS, featuring in 18 matches. After one season in MLS, Tiffert returned to Germany with VfL Bochum last year before joining purple-clad Erzgebirge Aue this summer to aid in their bid for an immediate bounceback to Germany’s second division.

Gerry Wittmann

Gerry is the founder of the Bundesliga Fanatic. Besides loving German football, he also enjoys the NBA, collecting jerseys and LPs, his pets and wishes he had more time for fishing, bicycling and learning the bass guitar.

Related Articles

Bayern extended their lead atop the Bundesliga standings with another dominant display in Hamburg. A diving header from Bastian Schweinsteiger, a cheeky goal from a tight angle from Thomas Müller and a trademark hammer from […]

With the British press all afire concerning the possibility of former Mainz and Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp replacing the just-fired Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, it’s time once again to look abroad to see how a sampling […]